Shimla: Women of Banutti Making Herbal Holi Colors, Benefiting Environment and Livelihood
Shimla: The festival of Holi, a symbol of joy and celebration, is around the corner. In Dudhalti Panchayat of Shimla’s Banutti area, members of the women’s group are preparing herbal Holi colors. These colors are made using natural ingredients like carrot, beetroot, and spinach. Six women are creating these colors, promoting environmental safety while also generating local employment.
Instead of chemical-laden and synthetic colors available in the market, these women use entirely homemade and organic ingredients. Beetroot juice is used for red and pink shades, fresh carrot for orange, and spinach leaves for green.
The best part of these colors is that they are completely safe for the skin. This initiative is not just limited to the festival but has also become a source of economic empowerment for the women. So far, they have prepared around 80 kilograms of herbal colors. Nisha Sharma, mobilizer of Lok Chetna Manch, stated that she is supporting the women in every possible way.
How the Herbal Colors are Made:
The women—Sunita, Bhuneshwari, Neelam, Sharda, Bimla, and Vandana Sharma—explained that to make green color, spinach juice is mixed in arrowroot powder and sun-dried, then ground in a mixer. Similarly, carrot and beetroot juices are mixed in arrowroot, dried, and ground to make orange, red, and pink colors. Each color takes about 1-2 days to prepare. The prepared colors will be sold according to demand.
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